The Tactician and the Swordmaster
by RavenAdain
Summary: Mark, a young tactician, is found and nursed back to health by Lyn of the Lorca tribe. Follow them as they find their place in the world. Still can't write a summary to save my life.


He couldn't feel his body. _Am I dead?_ he wondered, starting to question what dying really entailed. Before he'd seen it as a finality, a break in the chain so to speak, but now he thought of it as an eternal prison where one would be stuck as their consciousness slowly eroded into madness. He trembled at the thought, then tried to remember what had killed him and found that he couldn't. At first it didn't bother him, he just kept trying and assumed that it would come to him soon. The longer the memory remained absent, the more his patience dwindled until he couldn't stand it any more. The frustration of not knowing what had claimed his life was driving him to madness. "Are you awake?" a young, feminine voice asked.

 _Or I can't find it because it didn't happen,_ he realized a little embarrassed. He smiled in spite of himself and opened his eyes. Standing over him was a girl in her mid teens, much like himself, with bright, forest-green eyes matched with slightly deeper, thigh-length hair kept in a ponytail by a red, yellow and green hairpiece. She wore a light-blue dress with gold and reddish-brown trim, sleeves ending just above the elbow and two slits up along her legs complete with a tan wrap around her waist tied with a green and yellow rope belt that wrapped around her twice then connected to a red clasp at her hip. She was holding a wood cup and bowl and regarding him with an open and kind smile. He blinked twice and as nicely as he could asked, "Where am I and how did I get here?"

She put the cup and bowl down and sat on the corner of the bed. "I found you unconscious on the plains and brought you to my home." she explained. She saw the look of confusion on his face and guessed his next question. "I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now."

 _The Lorca tribe? When did I pass into Sacae?_ He wondered. He was looking down at his covers absently and Lyn began to get worried.

"Who are you?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. His gaze focused on her again and she asked, "Can you remember your name?"

He looked at her sheepishly and said, "Oh, uh, my name's Mark."

She tilted her head slightly and clearly to herself said, "Mark? What an odd-sounding name…" He considered retorting, but something about how she said it spoke of not being used to needing to internalize her thoughts. She looked at him again with a bit of an embarrassed blush having realized what she did and said, "But pay me no mind. It is a good name."

"As is yours, Lyn." he said back with a smile.

Her smile broadened, glad to see that he was a kind person. She thanked him then excitedly said, "I see by your attire that you are a traveller." she leaned in closer closer to him and asked, "Would you share your story with me?"

She was almost on top of him at that point, not that he was complaining, and he was about to answer her but before he could a very distant scream caught their attention. Lyn perked up and asked, "Hm? What was that noise?" When nothing answered her she made her way to the door and grabbed an iron sword. Before she left she turned back to him and said, "I'll go see what's happening. Mark, wait here for me." and she ran out. Mark got out of the bed and scanned the room for a weapon of some kind, spotting a worn iron sword left by the door, presumably in the same place Lyn had just grabbed hers, but before he could get to it Lyn came back through the door, panic and anger written plain on her features. "Bandits!" she cursed, "They must have come down from the Biran Mountains!" she began to talk to herself with a desperate tone saying, "They must be planning on raiding the local villages. I...I have to stop them!" she took on a thoughtful pose and in a calmer, though still shaky, voice said, "If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own." She looked up at Mark, who was watching her with fascination as he got a front row seat to how her thought process worked. She said, "You'll be safe in here, Mark."

He took offense to that comment and voiced it by saying, "No, I cannot on good conscience allow you to go out alone."

His heated words caught her off guard. "You want to help?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, can you use a weapon?"

That took the wind out of his sails. He had an active understanding of how almost every feasible weapon functioned in combat, that was the base of which tactics operated, but he had trouble grasping the basics of any of them. "Not...particularly, but my master and I used to travel from village to village to help them organize against instances like this until...well, until you found me."

She actually looked a little relieved by hearing a bit about his past, specifically that he knew what to expect from bandits. "Ah, I see… So you're a strategist by trade? An odd profession, but…" she trailed off, not entirely sure that she should accept his help, but his steady gaze reassured her and she relented. "Very well." She grabbed a pair of fingerless black gloves off a wicker cabinet and put them on. "We'll go together!" And they exited together, Mar grabbing the spare sword just in case.

Outside, he finally took in the full scope of the Sacae Plains; to the North he could see faint outlines of the Biran Mountains, to the South-West there were a few lakes connected by rivers but everywhere else was dominated by the rolling green hills of the plains. The wild beauty, however, was being sullied by a small band of bandits who were noisily pillaging a small village to the North-West. "Over here!" Lyn called from a small grove of trees at the edge of the plains. Mark rushed over to the tree she was using as cover. "If you want to help, Mark, I could use your advice."

"Right, anything you need."

She smiled. "I'll protect you, so stay close to me." he nodded and they moved in.

"We need to take them on individually, luckily there aren't too many of them here. My guess is that they weren't expecting any kind of resistance." he analyzed quietly as they closed the distance to the nearest bandit, but by some chance their target turned around and spotted them. "Oh no."

"The bandits spotted us!" Lyn said. The bandit started charging towards them with a grin that was missing a few teeth, axe raised. "He's coming this way!"

Before he got to them Mark and Lyn in sync said, "Let's close in and attack!" Lyn struck first with a quick, albeit shallow, slash across the bandit's stomach and practically danced around the bandit's counterattack and struck again, this time a little higher and deeper. Somehow the bandit was still standing and looked pissed. He swung his axe again, at an angle this time, faster than Lyn could dodge, but not too fast for Mark to get in between them. Unfortunately, he wasn't nearly skilled enough to parry the strike so he attempted to block the blow but ended up taking the brunt of the strike. His sword saved him from getting cleaved in twain, but it wasn't enough to level the difference in their strengths and the axe push past his guard and deep into his left trapezius muscle.

"Now Lyn!" he called out.

"Right!" she said, and with the new opening finally finished the bandit off with a cut through his neck that removed the head, and the body collapsed.

"That could have gone smoother."Mark remarked before falling to a knee and dropping the sword. His breaths were laboured and he grunted in pain as he tried to pull the axe out of his flesh.

"MARK!" Lyn cried out, earning the attention of two out of the three other bandits, both of which looked very similar to the one they just felled, and they charged towards them with snarls on their faces. Lyn paid them no mind and instead went to her new friend's aid. The wound was grisly, the axe that did it likely wasn't very sharp and tore it's way through rather than cut. "Please hold still." she told him as she grabbed a vulnerary from a pouch at her side and applied the liquid to the wound. He inhaled sharply as she did and ground his teeth together as the area felt like it was starting to burn. "That should stop the bleeding," Lyn told him, "but the muscle…"

"Can be worried about later." he finished for her as the pain started to recede and directed her gaze towards the two they were about to face.

"...Right." she said begrudgingly, clearly not happy about the situation at all. When they were ten feet away Lyn jumped into action, landing three slashed in quick succession on the closest bandit, killing him, and nimbly avoided the other's wild swing. Mark picked up the sword he dropped back up and plunged the blade into the center of the bandit's back with gritted teeth.

"What the…" the bandit started to say but Lyn's sword cut him off and he fell to the ground dead.

"Thank you for your help, Mark, but please don't strain yourself, you'll only make your injury worse." she thanked and chastised him. Before he could respond they heard more screams from the ger to the North. "Now please, stay here while I get the brigand over by the ger." She turned to leave but Mark grabbed onto her wrist to stop her from leaving. "Mark." she started, hoping it would be enough to dissuade him. When his grip didn't loosen she turned back to him only to be silenced by the inferno behind his brown eyes.

"I won't let you go in without a plan." he told her vehemently. He wished he could be of more use but he was painfully aware of his current limitations. "If it's just you going then he'll likely be confident," Lyn was going to say something about that but he cut her off and continued, "which is his mistake. I'm guessing that he's the leader here so he's without a doubt more skilled or stronger than than the other three." he paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to describe what he was thinking. "Just...fight smart. You're faster than he is but be wary of his strength." She nodded and started to turn away, he let go of her wrist and she was gone. "Please don't die."

Lyn raced towards the ger that the last brigand was currently holding hostage. One of the hostage's must've said something because the bandit turned around and saw her. He laughed. "Is this the best that Sacae has to offer?" Lyn drew her sword and he laughed harder. "Very well. If you think you can stand up to Batta the Beast, then come at me!" he roared. Lyn struck first by quickly slashing at the bicep of his right arm. Batta, however, caught the blade with his left hand, grimacing as it cut into his flesh, but not enough to stop him from chopping into her with his axe. He aimed for her waist but Lyn twisted her upper body away and instead it cut into her exposed thigh. She cried out in pain and pulled her sword out of his hand and into his stomach before stumbling back, favouring her left leg.

 _He's tough,_ Lyn thought to distract herself from her injury. She saw Batta lift his axe for another clash. _It all comes down to this next blow._ Her thoughts briefly went to Mark but a roar from Batta brought her back to focus. He brought the axe down at her and she parried it wide then cut into his exposed flank, then with a burst of energy cut into him from hip to neck, then down at his inner thigh and finally through his wretched heart.

"How...How did you-" Batta gasped out before he, too, fell to the ground dead.

Lyn was breathing heavily. "Victory, we did it...Mark...forgive me…" was all she could say before she started to collapse, only to be caught by someone on the way down.

"Easy Lyn, you did it." Mark said. Lyn looked over her left shoulder and saw him holding her against his right shoulder and looking down at her with a worried expression. "Alright, this might hurt a bit." it sounded to Lyn like he was talking as much to himself as he was her. He picked her up bridal style and let out a low groan of pain as the tear in his shoulder started to bleed again, he saw a single tear roll down Lyn's cheek. "I need some help!" he shouted as he slowly carried Lyn towards the get. A head slowly poked out from the entrance and upon seeing Batta's corpse on the ground she stepped out and ushered them inside. He wasted no time following after her. Inside were women of various ages and more than a few children. Lyn's leg was crimson from the blood pouring out of it and she looked ghostly pale. "Please," Mark begged, "if there's anything you can do, just please save her." The elderly women muttered amongst themselves for a moment before they came to an agreement. The oldest looking amongst them, a frail thing wearing hide clothing with her gray hair dragging across the ground pulled out a small staff with a glass orb that was emitting a dim light.

"This heal staff only has enough power to heal one of you." she said slowly, "It is your choi-"

"Save Lyn." he told her before she had a chance to finish. He could barely feel Lyn's heartbeat now and panic must've been written clear on his face. The elder nodded and held the staff over Lyn's thigh. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the staff, which started to glow with a warm blue light. Mark could barely believe his eyes as Lyn's thigh began to mend itself back together under the light until it looked like nothing had happened. "Thank you." he said to the elder, who nodded in response, there was a bead on sweat in her brow. "If there's anything that I can do to repay you for this, please don't hesitate to ask."

They all looked at him appreciatively and the elder told him, "Come with me, we have a bed she can rest in." Two women that looked to be in their mid-twenties opened a hidden flap at the back of the get and ushered him through. On the other side was a trio of cots and various things made of leather: gloves, bracers, and hoods amongst other things. Mark paid them no mind and laid Lyn down on the nearest got. "Now let's close up that wound by your shoulder." the elder said. Mark nodded and followed her back to the main room, where the others had a chair set up for him.

 _Here we go,_ he thought when he sat down.

"This may hurt." a woman in her mid-thirties said apologetically moments before something was poured into the wound. He gripped his thigh hard enough for the knuckles to start turning white when they started to suture his wound with cotton strands thick enough to be more than just noticeable, and tugged his flesh. It stung a bit. "There, done." she said at last, cutting off and tying off the last stitch. Someone went through the flap at the back and Mark instinctively tried to look over his left shoulder but was given a light smack and a firm, "No." so he sat there facing forward, while the others laughed at his expense. The same person walked back through and stood in front of him. It was the elder that healed Lyn and she was holding a bow, but there was something off about it. He could tell that the design was that of a recurve bow, something common in Sacae, but the wood was scorched and cracked though it seemed to exude some kind of power.

"Please come with me." she told him, earning disapproving looks from everyone. She looked disappointed in them all. "Would you rather this man who came to our aid, or the next group of bandits that come upon us?" Everyone around them looked down embarrassed. "Now, come with me." she told him again, more forcefully this time. He wasn't in a position to deny her, especially after witnessing how she just shut down everyone else in the room, so he did what she asked and followed her outside.

Outside he turned his head to get a look at his sutures, finding them to be several strands of cotton entwined together to make a thick string that'd last well past when it needed to be removed. "Thank you for everything you've done for us, but I fear we haven't done nearly enough to deserve any more kindness from you." he told her honestly. The sun started to hand low and it cast it's golden light across the plains, creating a sight he knew he would never forget.

The elder turned from the plains to face him with the bow in her hands. "This bow was given to our tribe ages ago by a powerful sage and friend to one of our greatest heroes." she said to him, a mysterious light entering her eyes, "He told the elder then that there would come a time when a stranger to our lands will prove himself kind of heart and sound of mind, and if we should deem him worthy should be given this." she finished, beckoning him to take it from her hands. He was hesitant to, but the look in her eyes and on her face told him that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Okay." he relented. He walked towards her and put his hand on the bow. Part of him expected something to happen, but nothing did. He took it out of her hands and looked at it closer. The light from the sun appeared to be dancing across the wood, filling in its impurities and the char on the wood slowly faded into intricate engravings all along the new golden wood.

"He told that it was called Algir, the Bow of Piercing Light, and that it's coming would herald a change in this world." she said ominously. He looked at her face, expecting a smile or something that would hint at her joking, but all he saw was grim determination.

He had no idea what he was supposed to do or say. He was a tactician, not necessarily a fighter, previous events notwithstanding. He wasn't ready to be thrown into the land of prophecy at all, let alone so haphazardly. "So what happens now?" he asked, looking for guidance.

"That is for you to decide." she answered as the sun started to dip below the horizon, lining their surroundings in gold. She looked surprised for a second then smiled at him. " Have faith, I'm sure that you'll find your way." she said as she started to walk back to the get. He turned to watch her go, when he saw Lyn standing there with a look of relief on her face that he must've been mimicking.

Lyn ran to him and pulled him into a firm hug. "Sorry if I worried you." she said after letting go of him. She stared off into the sun as it finally disappeared from sight. "I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive...Strong enough that no one can defeat me." A low breeze blew through them into the plains, sending a slight shiver through them. She looked back at him and said, "Let's go home, Mark."

* * *

The next morning Mark awoke to Lyn taking a damp rag off of his shoulder She smiled when she saw his eyes open and said, "Good morning, Mark!" he blinked a few times, causing her to giggle and ask, "Are you awake yet?"

He was feeling slightly lightheaded but sat up and said, "Yeah, I'm awake."

She looked at him with some concern but it quickly passed. She sat on the end of the bed and looked back at him. "Say, Mark…" she said, getting his undivided attention, "I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" he asked, his subconscious was wondering why he didn't feel any pain or pulling from his shoulder.

"You have some experience in the ways of war." she stated, "What were you planning on doing after you left?"

In all honesty he hadn't gotten that far yet, but something about the way Lyn was looking at him compelled him to answer. "I hadn't thought much about it, but I suppose I would continue my travels and help people where I can."

"Would you allow me to come with you?"

He didn't know how to respond. She sounded vulnerable, and he owed her a debt that he could never repay, but he didn't want to take her away from her tribe...no matter how much he wanted to. "If your family is okay with it then-" he started before being cut off.

"What?" she asked, his words starting to sink in, "You...want me to get permission from my parents?" She paused and looked lost for a second before looking out of the window with a far off look. "My mother and father...died six months ago. My people - the Lorca - they don't...I'm the last of my tribe. Bandit's attacked, and...they killed so many people. The tribe was shattered. My father was our chieftain, and I tried to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me." she was visibly shaking and tears were starting to trail down her cheeks. Then she felt Mark pull her into a fierce hug and he just held her as she let everything out. "I'm sorry." she said between sobs, "I've been alone for so long…"

 _I'm an idiot,_ Mark thought to himself as he recounted everything that he'd witnessed the day before. The signs that she was alone were there, he just didn't put two and two together, but that wasn't important now, right now he was focused on comforting Lyn. "It's okay, Lyn." he said soothingly, "I know that they'd be proud of how strong you've been since then."

She tightened her grip around him and took his words to heart. "No, no more." she said to herself, "I will shed no more tears…." She let of him and he followed suit She looked like she'd composed herself and she was looking at him with a grateful smile. "Thank you, I'm better now." she said. He saw a fire behind her eyes now that was absent before. "Mark," she said, "I want-I must become stronger, so that I may avenge my father's death! Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. Mark, tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!"

They were still on the bed and Lyn had almost pushed herself on top of him, but the passion in her voice left his mind on topic. "I don't know that is be able to train you but I'd me happy to have you with me." he said with a smile.

"You will?" she asked excitedly. She took his hands in here and exclaimed, "That's just wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you! We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"

* * *

 **I don't know if I'll keep this as a one-shot or not, if you guys want more I'll happily write it but I don't know, it was nice to go back to the first game I actually cared about though.**


End file.
